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LIVING IN DENMARK

EXPLAINED: What changes about life in Denmark in September 2021

Here's what changes in Denmark in September and how it could affect you.

Published: 30 August 2021 12:03 CEST
Updated: 1 September 2021 10:19 CEST
EXPLAINED: What changes about life in Denmark in September 2021
People dancing in Copenhagen's Culture Box club, which opens on Wednesday for a four-day party. Photo: Daniel Liversage/Culture Box

Nightclubs and discos to reopen — some for first time since March 2020 

Wednesday will be a huge day for Denmark’s clubbers, with many nightclubs and discos opening their doors for the first time since they were closed down in March, 2020, ending one of the last restrictions still in place in Denmark. 

The Copenhagen super-club Culture Box is celebrating with a four-day “reopening weekend” which will run from Wednesday evening until battered revellers emerge blinking into the sunlight at 8am on Sunday morning (the nighclub will, however, close at 8am every morning).    

The Sigurdsgade nightclub in Nørrebro is waiting until Friday night for its own Åbnings Fest party. 

Bakken in the city’s Kødbyen meatpacking district will be open from Wednesday night into the small hours of Sunday morning. 

In Aarhus, the Kupé nightclub opens on Wednesday night. 

“After 19 months of party prison we are finally set free. Free to party, meet new people, have fun, dance, kiss and create a lot of lovely memories!” the club wrote on its Facebook page. 

In Odense, the Slagteriet nightclub will open on Saturday for what the club calls “a true Slagteriet classic”. 

Until September 10th, when Denmark will no longer classify Covid-19 as “dangerous to society”, anyone visiting a nightclub will need to show a valid coronapas (or a negative test result, proof of vaccination or proof of immunity due to prior infection). 

As Denmark dropped its 1m distance recommendations for public places in mid-August, there will be no additional restrictions on how many people can go on the dance floor or how close people can sit at tables. 

End to 2am closing times for bars and restaurants 

From September 1st, the ban on bars and restaurants staying open later than 2am will be removed, as will the ban on shops selling alcohol after 2am. 

Coronapas dropped for bars and restaurants 

From September 1st, it will no longer be required to show a valid coronapas (or a negative test result, proof of vaccination or proof of immunity due to prior infection), to sit indoors in restaurants and bars. 

Coronapas dropped for gyms and fitness centres

From September 1st, it will no longer be required to have a valid coronapas (or a negative test result, proof of vaccination or proof of immunity due to prior infection), to attend a gym or fitness centre in Denmark. 

Athletic Progression, SPOT festival 2019. Photo: Scanpix

The return of music festivals at full scale 

On August 15th, as many as 10,000 visitors were permitted at outdoor events with a standing public, so long as they were divided into sections of 2,500 people. From September 1st, even this limit will be dropped, as will the requirement for attendees to show a valid coronapas (or negative test result, proof of vaccination or immunity due to prior infection). 

With Roskilde and Smukfest respectively cancelling and downscaling their events, Aarhus’s Spot Festival on September 16th is one of the few festivals to take advantage of the end of restrictions. 

Covid-19 no longer classed as ‘critical threat to society’ from September 10th

From September 10th, Covid-19 will no longer be classed as a “critical threat to society”, or samfundskritisk sygdom, a disease which threaten the functions of society as a whole, by for instance, overwhelming the health system, meaning the government will lose the legal powers to impose bans on people gathering, demands for Covid-19 passes, and demands for face masks.

Covid-19 was first rated a samfundskritisk sygdom on March 10th last year, meaning it is being downgraded after one and a half months. Covid-19 will continue to be rated an alment farlig sygdom, “dangerous to public health”, and a “smitsom sygdom”, an infectious disease, both of which give the government and health authorities additional powers to test people and collect and share health data. 

A queue at the Falck rapid test centre at Gigantium in Aalborg back in April. Photo: Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix

Continued reduction in Covid-19 testing capacity in Denmark 

From September 1st, Denmark will downscale its capacity for PCR tests from 170,000 to 100,000, and from September 13th, it will halve its capacity for rapid tests from 200,000 to 100,000, according to the timeline from the Danish Critical Supplies Agency

    As part of the downscaling, the government will drop its requirement that all Danish citizens have a Covid-19 test facility within 20km of where they live, and many test centres will be closed. 

    Denmark’s Covid-19 support packages for businesses come to an end 

    September 2021 is the last month for which businesses that have lost more than 30 percent of their turnover compared to the corresponding month in 2019 can apply for government support to cover their fixed costs. 

    Opt-in Covid-19 vaccination scheme ends 

    The opt-in scheme enabling people in Denmark to receive the Johnson & Johnson or AstraZeneca vaccines against Covid-19 comes to an end on September 1st.

    The scheme allowed a private company, Practio, to administer the two vaccines outside of the national vaccination programme. Vaccination under the scheme required approval following a medical consultation.

    Denmark pulled the J&J and AstraZeneca vaccines from its national programme earlier this year due to concerns over very rare but serious side effects.

    The country’s national Covid-19 vaccination programme using the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines continues.

    READ ALSO: Will people in Denmark who got the Johnson & Johnson jab get booster shots?

    Brits in Denmark born between 1980-1984 should apply for permanent residency 

    The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration has advised Brits living in Denmark who were born between 1980 and 1984 to send in their applications for permanent residency in September.

    The agency said in an open letter published in December that it wanted to stagger the applications to avoid a surge which would overwhelm its staff. However, the dates given were only a request and British residents who have applied ahead of the recommended time have had their applications handled as normal. 

    You apply for residency at the New in Denmark page. 

    New EU energy labels come in for lights in Denmark 

    From September 1st, new EU energy labelling for lamps and lighting will come into force in Denmark, with all lighting products labelled from A++ (the most efficient) to E (the least efficient).

    New wage subsidy scheme for 50+ long-term unemployed comes into force 

    From September 1st, businesses and public agencies which give work to long-term unemployed people over the age of 50 will benefit from a subsidy of 140.40 kroner per hour if they are in the private sector and 102.90 kroner an hour if they are in the public sector. The scheme, which expires in on December 31st 2022, is intended to help citizens deemed at particular risk of long-term unemployment during the Covid-19 crisis. 

    Businesses to be hit with higher fines for workplace accidents and safety failings  

    A new Workplace Environment act comes into force on September 1st, which increases the fines businesses founding infringing health and safety rules, and doubles the fine they will receive if these failings result in serious personal injury or death, with fines increased further in aggravating circumstances or in repeated cases

    The new act was the result of a political agreement reached between Denmark’s political parties in April 2019, under the previous Liberal Party government. 

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    LIVING IN DENMARK

    Six useful products I discovered in Denmark

    Denmark is well known for its tradition for high quality design, but which products make a difference to everyday life?

    Published: 22 March 2023 17:52 CET
    Updated: 26 March 2023 09:04 CEST
    Six useful products I discovered in Denmark

    Inbuilt bike locks 

    There’s no need to carry around a heavy and impractical chain to lock up your bicycle in Denmark, as these all come fitted (or you can cheaply add) an inbuilt lock on the frame of the bike.

    The lock is the form of a circular bar which is released by a key and goes between the spokes of the back wheel, meaning it can’t be turned when the lock is in the fixed position.

    This way, bikes can be locked while still standing freely – which is just as well, since there are not enough railings and bike stands in the country to accommodate the many, many bicycles.

    Of course, a locked bike can, in theory, be picked up and carried away even if the wheel doesn’t turn and unfortunately, this does happen sometimes. But not enough to undermine the public trust in bicycle wheel locks.

    Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix

    Rain trousers

    Rain trousers/pants (regnbukser) can be bought on their own or with a matching jacket as part of a regnsæt (“rain set”).

    These waterproof pants are a novelty to those of us who don’t come from bicycle cultures, but after your first rainy day cycling commute leaves you at the office with drenched trousers, you’ll understand the appeal.

    They are designed to fit over your regular trousers and can be stretched over the top of your shoes and held underneath them with a piece of elastic attached to the bottom hem.

    While primarily designed for cycling, they also come in handy for walking around during Denmark’s regular spells of cold, damp weather.

    Photo: Emil Helms/Ritzau Scanpix

    READ ALSO: Essential rain gear for a wet Danish winter (and spring, summer, autumn)

    The flatbed toaster

    There’s something indefinably satisfying about putting two slices of bread in a toaster and waiting for the ‘ping’ as they pop up, warm and ready for spreading.

    However, there’s no getting around the fact that toasters are a bit impractical when it comes to thick slices and rolls.

    Of course, you can also warm bread in the oven, but it’s more hassle and not for quite the same result.

    Enter the flatbed toaster. This device is much more popular in Denmark than the pop-up version and enables easy, simultaneous warming of several slices of bread of various shapes and sizes – including of course, the national favourite, rye bread.

    Pro tip: turn the dial less for toasting the second side of the bread, because the element will already be warm. This way you avoid burning the second side.

    Photo: Liselotte Sabroe/Ritzau Scanpix

    The cheese slicer

    Cheese products popular in Denmark include havarti and the Cheasy range from dairy Arla.

    These are both soft cheeses and should be cut with an ostehøvl (cheese slicer), a quintessential Danish kitchen utensil.

    There are two types of ostehøvl: a wire-based type and a version that looks a bit like a trowel, with a raised edge and a gap in the middle for the sliced cheese to pass through.

    Cutting Danish soft cheese with a knife will turn the block into a crumbling mess, so in this setting you can’t really avoid using the specialised slicers. And while their usefulness is diminished for something like cheddar, there are plenty of softer cheeses in other countries that would surely benefit from being set about with an ostehøvl.

    One thing to be aware of: injudicious use of the slicer can cause a “ski slope” cheese block, creating uneven slices and leaving one side of the block thicker than the other. Slice evenly.

    READ ALSO: Why does Denmark produce so much cheese?

    Foam washing cloths for babies

    If you’re a parent and have found yourself struggling with a pile of dirty wet wipes or cotton pads after changing your baby, you may have found yourself wondering if there’s another way.

    In Denmark, there is: the engangsvaskeklude (disposable washing cloth) comes in tightly-stuffed packets of 50-100 small, square foam cloths, around 20 square centimetres in size.

    The cloths are made from thin slices of polyether foam, a type often used in sofa cushions. Manufacturers say it is better for the environment than other types, and the advantage against wet wipes is they are perfume-free.

    They just need to be made damp with a splash of lukewarm water, then you’re ready to wipe – they tend to have a good success rate for picking up baby poo.

    A sticker saying ‘no thanks’ to junk mail

    We’re talking about physical junk mail here, not the type that goes into your email spam box although if there was a sticker for this, I’d be at the front of the queue.

    The reklamer, nej tak (“advertisements, no thank you”) sticker can be ordered from FK Distribution, the company which operates Denmark’s tilbudsaviser (“special offer newspaper”) deliveries. These result in piles of paper leaflets, detailing offers at supermarkets, being pushed through letter boxes every day.

    These leaflets are useful for bargain hunters, but many people take them out of their overfilled letter box and dump them straight into recycling containers. If you have a nej tak sticker on your letter box, you won’t receive any of the brochures in the first place.

    You can also choose a sticker which says “no thanks” to adverts but excludes the offer leaflets, so you can cut down on the junk mail while still keeping abreast of good deals.

    Have I missed any good ones? Let me know.

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